How Sick Is A Little Sick
by messed up stargazer
Summary: What happens when Neal gets sick?  Rated T for some whumpage.  I tried to stay away for the most part.
1. How Sick Is A Little Sick

**I don't own White Collar but one can dream...**

Neal Caffery was sick, plain and simple. He had a cough he couldn't hide, his voice was getting hoarser by the second, he had a hard time staying awake, movement both hurt and sent a wave of nausea through him, and he was sweating like a pig. Peter felt his friend's feverish forehead, noticing his friend didn't smack his hand away, and took him directly home to Elizabeth.

"I'm fine." Came Neal's broken record reply but before Peter could retort Neal started coughing so hard Peter thought he might choke. "Okay. Maybe I _am_ a little sick." Neal said once he stopped. Peter's heart sank. It definitely _wasn't_ like Neal to admit he was sick. Neal had way too strong a bravado for that.

"How sick is a little sick?" Peter asked. Neal shrugged and winced. He didn't talk again the entire ride home. Peter practically dragged Neal into his and Elizabeth's house and sat him down on their couch. "Neal would you like something to eat or something?" Peter asked but his fiend was already asleep.

Peter put on a pot of water to boil. His friend would eat soup today if it was the last thing Peter did. Peter smiled at his little joke. Neal being sick is the thing that would kill him. Not trying to catch a crook, or old age, or maybe even a terminal disease. It was Neal being sick. He knew it. He called June to tell her to A) not expect Neal tonight, and B) not to be worried when Neal didn't come home tonight. June promised to tell Mozzie and he ended the call just to call Elizabeth. She promised to be there as soon as she could, she just a couple of clients to finish up. Next was Hughes to make sure he could take the rest of the day off. Hughes said they could stay home as long as they liked, just as long as Neal got better and Peter didn't get sick himself. Peter finished the calls, which was enough time for the soup to cook. He carefully ladled some into a bowl and brought it into the living room.

Neal was still sound asleep and he didn't want to wake his friend so he just set he soup on the table. He brought his book, _The Night Is Calling_, over to the couch and he opened it. Neal was so deep in sleep he didn't notice Peter lifting his head and laying it back down on his lap. Peter didn't really know how long he sat there, reading with Neal silently snoring into his lap. If Neal's skin hadn't been so hot, Peter would have thought Neal was cute, in an adorable five-year-old way. Neal could pull off innocence when he wanted to, that was for sure. El slipped in a little past two o'clock. She did the whole nurse thing, taking his temperature, and giving him a blanket when his temperature was decided to be 102.4 degrees. He finally woke up at about two thirty. Neal was quiet, which the main reason Peter knew he was sick. Neal was never quiet, ever. He ate the soup without question and fell back asleep in Peter's lap about half an hour later.

"Man I'm worried. I've never seen him lay still for this long." Peter voiced.

"He'll be all right. Neal is always all right." El said, giving Peter a kiss. His phone rang and El answered it. It turned out to be Mozzie, checking on Neal and asking if he could come over. Of course El invited him over and he walked in about five seconds later.

"I figured it would be polite to call first." Mozzie explained.

"It's all right Mozzie. How's June?" El asked.

"She's alright. She wants to know how your lovely patient is as do I." Mozzie said.

"He's all right." El said just as Peter said, "I'm a little worried." Mozzie looked at the both of them.

"Well, which is it?" Mozzie asked.

"Mozzie, have you ever known Neal to stay in one place for more than five minutes?" Peter asked.

Mozzie shook his head. "Nope. Even when he's asleep he's always moving. He's rather restless." He answered.

"He hasn't moved the entire time. I think he's really sick. Did he do anything where he could've been exposed to something?" Peter asked. Mozzie thought. He shook his head and stopped mid-shake and thought harder. If Neal's health was in jeopardy, Suit and Mrs. Suit had to know.

"Yeah, maybe. He went on a new job a few days ago. He was supposed to go into a small little coffee shop and buy a certain cup of coffee and then not touch it until after a certain signal." Mozzie said, while thinking about the operation. Neal had particularly enjoyed that cup of coffee except for a certain aftertaste. He explained this and his eyes widened in shock. "Neal's been poisoned, hasn't he?" Mozzie gasped.

"We don't know that for sure. It could've been a bad coffee, maybe bad milk or even sugar. Who sent him on this new job?" Peter asked.

"That INTERPOL lady. She asked him to do this so he could get something on Kate's kidnapper. I don't know her name." Mozzie said.

"I'll have a little talk with her later, she needs to respect who she's dealing with. She wouldn't poison him, Mozzie. She's not that stupid." Peter said, knowing his logic would calm the con artist.

"Yeah. I'm not letting him go back to that coffee shop until it comes under health department inspection." Mozzie said and Peter saw El smile.

The rest of the night was pretty boring. Neal slept through most of it, waking up about every two hours, much to everyone's delight. Mozzie taught El how to play dominoes and she taught him how to play poker, which might have been a mistake. He was really good at bluffing and reading other peoples hands. El gave up after about ten hands without her winning a single one. Peter was stuck there the entire night because he didn't want to wake Neal. He drifted off with El's laughter ringing through his ears, Mozzie's chuckles and Neal's constant breathing soothing him under the sea of sleep. Before he knew it, he was pulled beneath its waves with nary a sign of a struggle. He was so deep he didn't notice El kissing him good night and saying Mozzie could take the guest bedroom if he wanted to stay near Neal.

**Hope you liked it. Second chapter be posted soon. Review!**


	2. When He Gets A Little Better

"Suit? Hey, Suit. Time to wake up." Mozzie said, shaking him ever so slightly. He blinked a few times and his eyes adjusted to Mozzie leaning over him. He looked down and Neal was still asleep in his lap. "He hasn't woken up this morning." Mozzie answered. Peter didn't even need to ask. Peter got and liked that about Mozzie. What he didn't get is why he was at his house at about, after a quick check at the clock, eight thirty in the morning. "Your wife said I could have the guest room if I wanted to stay with Neal." Mozzie answered again. That made sense. Of course El would offer that to him.

"Speaking of Neal, has he moved and I slept through it?" He asked. He knew for a fact Mozzie got up at six-thirty everyday so it made sense that he would watch Neal. Mozzie shook his head.

"His fever's down to 100.9 but he still hasn't moved. You were right to be worried. I've never seen him this still." Mozzie admitted. Neal just slept on, completely oblivious of their conversation.

"It is a little scary to see him like this. Not moving. He may as well not be breathing. He's not Neal Caffery." Mozzie admitted in a hurry.

"Yeah, I know. It _is_ like he's dead. I never have seen him this still and it's unsettling to know he's never been this way." Peter agreed. Peter unconsciously started to pet Neal's hair, as if it were instinct. Of course Mozzie noticed but since Suit didn't know, he decided not tell him.

"Where's El?" Peter asked suddenly, not stopping his actions, but as if he just remembered his wife.

"She went to work at about seven-thirty. She already called Neal in sick and you in trapped. She said that Jones thought that was funny. She said you would get it." Mozzie said and Peter smiled. Of course he thought that was funny.

Next was an absolute thrill. Neal's eyes fluttered open and he tried for a croak of a good morning. Peter very gently sat Neal upright for the breakfast Peter knew Mozzie had fixed.

"You wanna try eating something?" Peter asked. Neal nodded. Mozzie brought back from the kitchen some very delicious smelling tomato soup.

"I didn't know you liked tomato soup Neal." Peter said, trying to get Neal to talk.

"Yeah." Neal cracked his face pale and sweaty.

"I thought you were a wine and caviar guy." Peter said, egging Neal to say more than one word.

"I like it because it's so simple, easy and it's really good. Ever tried it imported from Morocco?" Neal asked. Peter shook his head.

"I'm only an FBI agent. I can't afford stuff like that." Peter joked.

"Remind me to have some delivered to your house. You'll think you've died and gone to taste heaven." Neal said, lying back into Peter's lap. Peter resumed his stroking and Neal was asleep within seconds.

"Hmm. Looks like I got a good offer from a sick man. If only he was like this when he wasn't sick, then he could have done some real good before I put him in prison. Twice." Peter said.

"You are never gonna let that go are you?" Mozzie asked.

Peter shook his head. "Never." He joked and both men started laughing.

"So, what now Suit?" Mozzie asked. Peter shrugged.

"Got any movies?" Mozzie asked. Peter told him where he and Elizabeth kept their movies and Mozzie pulled out three classics. _Cutthroat__ Island_,_ Usual Suspects_, and _Star Trek: 2009_.

"We can watch them on low. So Suit, which?" Mozzie asked.

"Since we got all day, why not all of them? We can start with Cutthroat, then do the Usual Suspects, and finish with Star Trek. El will be home by then." Peter suggested. Mozzie nodded and put in the movies.

They watched each movie in turn, each on low volume with captions in case they missed anything, and El got back halfway through Star Trek.

"So Mozzie, what's Neal like at home?" El asked. Mozzie clamped his mouth shut and turned away from her.

"Uh, El Neal woke up today. He had some soup and went back to sleep. Isn't that good?" Peter asked.

"Uh yeah. That is good. Why don't I look his symptoms up on our laptop?" El offered. Peter nodded and Mozzie turned back to them. El rather ran to the laptop and started typing.

"Let's see. Fever, yes, cough, yes, nausea yes, lethargy, yes. Well the lovely internet says that he's either just got food poisoning or maybe a bad case of the flu. Each takes about three to five days to beat so we might be here awhile. Hey Mozzie why don't you call June and invite her over here? Her company would be lovely. We can all play dominoes." El said a smile crossing her face. Mozzie reached for the phone and June was over at their house in ten minutes.

Neal woke up when they were all playing the second game of dominoes and they were all thrilled. Neal stayed awake long enough to finish the second game and try to play in the third. Some of his color had returned and he wasn't sweating so badly. That was a good sign. Both Peter and Neal walked, or Neal more just watched, around and stretched their near dead legs and did some paperwork on the case they had been working on before Neal got sick. Neal wanted to stay awake as long as possible but he settled down back on the couch again.

"I didn't know our couch was that comfortable." Peter joked as his friend practically snuggled into his lap.

"I didn't know I could feel this bad." Neal bantered and Peter smiled.

"You're up to your usual banter. I think you're getting better." Peter said and Neal grinned. Peter's heart soared. If Neal was grinning and bantering again he had to be getting better. Neal tried for laughter but he ended up coughing again.

"Easy Neal. Even of you are getting better you are still sick. That means you have to take it easy. I wonder if I should say easy again so it'll go through your thick head." Peter joked.

"Where're the others?" Neal asked, slightly slurring. "June and El are in the kitchen. I have no idea what they're doing but it smells delicious. Mozzie is out getting some groceries for the girls." Peter said, but be didn't think Neal heard him. He was sound asleep. Peter smiled and carefully ruffled the young man's hair. _It is going to be all right_. Peter thought as he squeezed himself away from sleeping beauty that was Neal.


	3. When He Gets Worse

The next day wasn't all right. Neal's fever had jumped two degrees and he started shaking. Peter had decided to call a doctor since this had happened. The real reason for the decision? He wanted to make sure Neal really hadn't been poisoned. A really nice receptionist said that a Dr. Smith could pop by and check him out on his lunch break. He thanked the receptionist and went to check in on Neal. El was holding his hand as his breath came in ragged gasps and his eyes were darting around under his eyelids.

The doctor came at about noonish and he, after taking about two looks at Neal, called Manchester General Hospital. He said he recognized the poison of an illness someone gave Neal. It was a type of lethal influenza. It could be fought with an antidote, but Neal had to fight it too. They whisked him away to the hospital and El started to cry. Not only was Neal going to the hospital, which he was afraid of, Neal was really _that_ sick. He called Jones on the way and explained the situation. Jones says he'll go over all the security footage if he could get the name of the coffee house.

When Peter pulls up to man general he asks if Neal could wake up for one thing. The doctor doesn't want to let him, but does it anyway. Peter shakes Neal and he doesn't change. He does it, a lot harder, hating himself for it. Neal was in a lot of pain and Peter made it worse. Neal's eyes fluttered open and he whimpered.

"I'm _so _sorry buddy. _So, so_ sorry, but I need the name of the coffee house you went to. The new one." Peter asked, careful about what he said. If he just said the new one then Neal didn't have to worry about Peter knowing. Peter didn't want his friend worrying about such a thing now, not when he could be dying.

"It was the new Starbucks on fifth and Jackson." Neal croaked.

"Okay buddy. Now I need you to do one more thing okay?" Peter asked. Neal's eyes asked what when his voice couldn't. "I want you to sleep now. No debate, just go to sleep." Peter said, trying for a joke of a stern father, but his voice cracked and Neal detected how worried he was.

Neal gladly shut his eyes, and his ragged breathing evened out and Peter wanted to kiss his forehead like he was Neal's father, but he just squeezed his hand and called Jones back. Of course the Starbucks gave them the security footage and Jones called Peter in for some reason, said it was important. What could be more important than Neal? Peter raced to Jones and a man was on the security footage, and Peter clenched his hands so hard they turned white.

"Dekkard." He growled. All Jones could do was show him how Dekkard poisoned him, by slipping it into the sugar he thought Neal would take and he was right.

"Boss, I thought you should call Agent Ling and tell her how wrong she was." Jones said, holding out a dialed phone. Peter took it and locked himself in his office. Ling picked up and he ranted to her about everything that happened.

When he was done, she simply asked, "Neal's been poisoned by an ex con who you put away named Dekkard? He was just supposed to get a drink which was to signal an Ecuadorian con that he meant business. He was supposed to refer him to me and that was it. He wasn't supposed to do anything else and don't you dare give me that rant on how to treat Neal. I know very well to treat a con." Ling said but Peter jumped on her.

"An _ex_-con who went straight!"

"Oh yeah. He only went straight so he could get out of prison!" She screamed and Peter just hung up on her.

"I don't think INTERPOL will like us after what I just did." Peter said as he left his office.

"What did you do?" Diana asked.

"I hung up on her." Peter said smiling. All three shared his smile.

"Uh, Hughes. Sorry sir." Peter said wiping the smile off his face and explaining what happened. Hughes took it in stride and granted Peter whatever he needed to catch Dekkard and save Neal.

"I need to go to the hospital and see Neal." Peter said and Hughes nodded.

"We can do this boss. Stay with Neal." Jones said. Peter drove faster than light to get back and El was crying when he got there.

"What is it El? What happened?" Peter asked frantically.

"It's Neal. Someone tried to kill him just before you got back. Someone tried poison him but the doctors caught it before it could hurt him. Who's doing this Peter?" She asked.

"A man we put away named Dekkard. Neal was the one who got all the evidence on him and he blames Neal and me for his imprisonment." Peter said and hugged El close.

Together they walked into Neal's room and Mozzie and June were already there, tear streaks across June's face.

"We are gonna find Dekkard, the man who did this. We're gonna find him now." Peter said his voice cracking as his gaze fell on Neal. What ever color Neal had left was gone, he was sweating rivers, his breath was shallow and ragged and his heartbeat was fast and erratic. Peter sighed and dragged a chair next to Neal's right side, El following.

They just stayed there, waiting. Jones called with updates but Peter didn't pay much attention. Neal had almost died when he left the first time. The only way he would leave Neal again is if they were absolutely sure they found Dekkard. He hugged El closer and squeezed Neal's hand.

"Wake up Neal. Come on buddy you gotta wake up." Peter whispered. Unfortunately, Neal was Neal and wasn't listening. Peter wondered if he could even hear him. He was close to tears, to see Neal like this. So defeated, so ravaged, so… not Neal.

After two days of never leaving Neal, Jones called _the_ call. They had finally found Dekkard. Peter wrote down the address and said he would meet them there. He told the others and they were thrilled. They promised to watch over Neal and make sure nobody came into his room, even if they were a doctor. Peter smiled and drove faster than sky lightning to get to the address.


	4. Catching An Attempted Murderer

"It's a wonder you didn't get a speeding ticket, Boss. You must have been going so fast you could drive through buildings." Jones joked, handing him his vest. He grimaced and accepted his gun from Diana. Hughes was setting up a strike team and Peter announced he was leading it. No debate, he just was going to lead it. They accepted it and Peter ran to an abandoned buildings front door. He kicked it down, ignoring the pain shoot up his leg, and let his adrenaline move him fast up the stairs.

Dekkard was there, holding a knife and gun out. "Dekkard you son-of-a-bitch, where's the antidote?" Peter shouted.

"Maybe you'll never know. You keep with the guns and team that isn't yours and I won't talk." Dekkard threatened. Peter ordered the strike team back down and threw down his gun.

"Where is it?" He asked again.

"Maybe it's in the liquor cabinet." Dekkard said.

"If you're lying, my hands will be the last thing you feel." Peter said and looked in the cabinet. He found a bottle that was some medical drabble with a small written word beneath it: Antidote. Peter saw Dekkard out of the corner of his eye with a steel chair and he barely dodged.

"Too bad you won't get that to him in time." Dekkard said, a huge, malicious smile playing across his features. Rage filled and over flooded Peter and he launched himself at Dekkard, his only thought that this was the man who hurt Neal.

After about two minutes of constant fighting, Peter pulled himself off an unconscious Dekkard. Peter looked down and saw Dekkard's knife embedded into his stomach. Peter limped out, dragging Dekkard and he was surrounded by agents. He ripped the knife out and threw Dekkard to the ground. He smiled when agent tackled him and slapped handcuffs on him. He handed the antidote to Jones and said what it was. Jones promised to race this to the hospital.

Peter allowed himself to be checked out by the paramedics and winced as they injected something into his arm.

"We got him Burke. You got him good." Hughes said as darkness edged his vision and he was surrounded by it.


	5. Recuperating

"I can't believe he did that for me. I mean he took a knife for me." Neal said. Peter's mind was blurry. Neal was sick and he couldn't talk. He couldn't be saying that.

Peter opened his eyes and found himself in the hospital. He looked to the left and found himself staring at a healthy, or healthier, Neal.

"Hey look who decided to join us. You had us scared there for a minute.' Neal grinned.

"Neal? You're all right?" Peter asked. Neal grinned wider.

"Yep, thanks to that antidote Jones brought me. I can't believe you would do something so stupid as to take a knife for me. I was feeling bad enough as is." Neal joked, his pout face playing.

"Had to. Peter Burke cannot live without Neal Caffery. It's a rule of the universe." Peter said sleepily.

"Aw. I think he's nicer when he's drugged. I think I wanna keep him like this. Can I Lizzie?" Neal asked, his big, innocent blue eyes directed at Elizabeth.

"No you can't." El said her smile so wide it'd crack her face. She squeezed his hand.

"Yeah, no Neal. I'm pretty sure drugging a federal agent is a federal offense." Peter said. Peter smiled. He was happy here, although that could have been the drugs talking, but he didn't care. El was with him, Neal was all right, and all was right with the world. _Wait, Lizzie?_


	6. PS Love Neal

One Tuesday, a package showed up at the Burke home front door. It was labeled PERISHABLE. Peter had no idea what it was and El said she didn't order anything. Peter looked for a note and found one once he opened the box.

_You didn't remind me. You're lucky I remembered. Okay, Mozzie remembered. This is for taking care of me when I was sick. Love Neal__._

He carefully opened the box and his sense of smell went crazy. It smelled delicious.

"Neal sent it. If I'm right, it's imported tomato soup from Morocco." Peter said, popping it in the microwave. El smiled and together they set it out and each took a bite/sip/whatever. They didn't care. There was going to be a murder mystery tomorrow. Both Peter and Elizabeth Burke had died and gone to taste heaven.


End file.
